Offertory by Brandon Coz.

Special music by the chancel choir.

Prayers of the People for July 24, 2022 by Jim Essinger.

In one of our recent “First Devotion” emails, a comment made by the economist John Maynard Keynes in 1930 was referenced: “What will we do with all our spare time?” Based on the rate of progress Keynes had observed at the time, he predicted that his future grandchildren would only need to work 15 hours a week. Everything was being automated so well that people would have little need to work. Of course, this prediction was clearly wrong as we have come to realize that greater automation often results in greater complexity along with higher expectations for efficiency.

This week, we will reflect on the conflict between two sisters, Martha and Mary, that was born out of the different priorities they had in life which had prompted one to be more active and the other more reflective. While Martha was busy taking care of the guests at their home, Mary decided to stop and listen to the message offered by Jesus, who was one of those guests. Although Martha asked Jesus to rebuke her sister, Jesus refused saying “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things, but few things are needed—indeed only one. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” Join us Sunday as we reflect on what that one thing that we need might be.

Special music by Sheryl Clifton.

Prayers of the People for Sunday, July 17, 2022 by Allison Essinger.

Prayers of the People by Avery West.

A common perception shared by many people is that human behavior is always guided by self-interest.  This implies that everything we do (or decide not to do) is based on what we expect to gain from some action (or to save if we refrain from it).  This perspective can quickly lead to a cynical attitude that robs us of our ability to recognize sincere altruism when it surfaces in our daily lives and diminishes the hope we might have for the future of our communities.

In this week’s passage, we read of the “Good Samaritan” who cared for the robbery victim on the road between Jerusalem and Jericho.  There were others who passed by this victim before the Samaritan came along, but they did not decide to offer him support; presumably, because it wasn’t in their self-interest.  The Samaritan, however, decided to care for the victim despite any apparent advantage he might gain from the situation.  Join us this Sunday as we reflect our motivations for helping others and consider why others may have helped us.

Special music by the chancel choir.

It’s often assumed that the solution to difficult problems must also be difficult. When the big problems we are encountering in life can be fixed with a simple adjustment to our lifestyle or a short phone call, it often feels like we had been making a big deal out of nothing. But this is not necessarily the case; sometimes the best solution to big problems can be simple.

This is the case for the Aramean commander named Naaman who came to the prophet Elisha asking to be cured of his leprosy. Elisha wouldn’t even take the time to step out of his house to meet Naaman after Naaman journeyed from a distant country to see him. Elisha simply sent a messenger to Naaman telling him to go to the Jordan river and wash seven times. Feeling belittled by Elisha’s treatment, Naaman became angry and was going to return home directly, ignoring Elisha’s advice, but his servants convinced him to try it first. After all, it was easy and wouldn’t take much time. So, Naaman agreed and washed seven times in the Jordan river which cured his leprosy.

Join us this Sunday as we reflect on the story of Naaman as well as the simple, yet effective advice Jesus gave his disciples when he sent them out to preach the Gospel. We will look at how simple changes we make in our lives can have a powerful impact.